Indicator for card games



E. SACHSENMAIER ET AL 1,986,362

INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES Jan. 1, 1935.

Filed May 22, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l a/d/m V Fig.6

1935. E. SACHSENMAIER ET AL 1,986,362

INDICATOR FOR CARD GAMES Filed May 22, 1935' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 QYWMWM'A maier" Erv/h Soc/756m Warm/7 Sac/vaanma/er MW f m 1935- E. SACHSENMAIER ET AL 1,986,362

INDICATOR FOR CAR'D GAMES Filed May 22, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Erv/n Sac/75 enma/er Women 0c/75enm0/cr Patented Jan. 1, 1935 i i 4MP E F I i .1i insnlon'rogi fi inn,GAMES v V E'rvin TSachsenmaierjianii".warrn' Sachsenmaier,"

. i ParkrPa. i i

The invention concerns-means by' whichcard bthefl Directlyadjacent the positionof the lamp players will be relieved oii the mentalhazard of swhich corresponds to player south there is a keeping track of the-next ;dealrby memoryi the button 15 -to=be operated say' by the player. who said-invention providing=m-anually-operableap-f jkeepsfscore. --paratus byvwhich thenext dealer may-*-b' di- 1/ As shown-in Figs. 3, 4and 5, thispush button 5 cated. Y The invention? also c ncePns mea-n Joy- 15i. operates a-pawl-16 which in* this particular -Which' at any period ofthe.particu1ar round beform of the invention-operates aratchet-wheel ing played any player camasc'ertain which player- 17 017. a shaft= l8 suitably journalled in a frame dealt the cards for that-particular roundrorbin or mx 19: This shaft at its outer end carries other words,-who-fdea1t the last -hand'pand in n electric'switch member consisting of a block 10 'somecaseswhen thei'first bid is j relative-td-th 20'- having dwellsor recesses 'in its periphery dealer the invntion---rnay also serve to indicate adapted to receive the curved endsof contact *the first bid orthe= -opening-1ead. i springs zl suitably mounted onthe framework.

Other characteristicsof- -theinvention willbe 'l here 'are' four of these contact-springs, and. clear from the foHowing'descr'ip'tion. 1 I here is -also-carried-by the rotaryblock a 15 a In thedrawings i contact member 22which, as the block isrotated Figure 1 is a--plan viewiof onflform of-*the i step by stepg will make electriccontact with the apparatus. 9 g I ol ontactuspr-ings21. These contactsprings 21 Fig. 2 is aside'view of Fig. 1. E rorml parts of the various circuits leading to the i .20 Fig. 3 is a detail viewpa rtlydn section?o'i the t sev'erah lamps at the-positions N, S,E and W- as 0 manuallyoperable-elementsfor actuating tlieinindicated in Fig. 5. When the push button-15 dicatorgysaidview"being a 'sectiorii on line3} 3 is depressed for the purpose of transferring the of Fig. 4. -dealfromoneplayer-to'another; the pawl spring 7 Fig.4 is afviewlookingfrom theiight 'o'f Figfi. 16 is moved downwardly so as to engage a'nd. 5 Fig. 5 is a-wiring'diagram together with themmethe ratchetdfl aquarter turn; This will 5 circuit'closing means for switcl'iixig into operatic ransfei the-iotary-contact member 22 from that weither one of-the-severallamps atth tlifierent one of the' -springs21 WlthfW-hiCh it has been in players positions. i engagement-tothe next spring '21 so as toclose Fig. 6 is a modifiediormof manuallyopeiable the cir'cuit f saidnext spring, and thus shift 4130i device. j 1 the-i'r1"4:1ication from one of the lamps tothe next Fig. 7 is a p1an-view of a-niodified form of *aplamp in orden Inother wordsywhen the push -paratus with "parts in=section,onlin' 7 -'Z- of-- button 15is-depressed tothelimit of its stroke, Fig. 8. Y the switch 'blockfifi-will be turned so as to transi Fig. 8- is a -side vie'w ofparts in- Figz '7 ,-"the *-ier th--deal indication to the -n'ext player, whose container casing being showndhse'ctio'n. 1 :"-co11respo'ndin'g--lamp will be-1ighted.

Fig. 9 is a-plan-view partly in section of a fi'ir Normally the pawl spring 16 is out of contact ther modification, taken"on the iine11-1190?with th aratchet wheel 1'7 as shown in-Figs. 3

FigJlO; a'ndf ijandafter-thetransfer of the deal indica- Fig. '10 showspartsof the apparatus" of Fig Q' tioii ha'sbeen effected, and the push-button45 in side-elevationand-withfthe'contain in 'section. 3 1 the pawlgspring w will rise to thepositionshown Fig. 11 is a'plan View"partly-"insection, oii line ih Figs; 3 and 4 to' return the'push button15 to ll-#11 of Fig-12; and its normal position;and'the circuitwillbe broken, Fig. 1-2 is aside viewofpartsof"an6ther-modiit 'being observed that this break in' the circuit ""fication of the invention. f H '--'=willbe -due'to thespring-paw1-16'breaking con-"' 45 Referringto Figures -1'-to 5;-the numeral'-1'4 in- -tactwith the ratchet-wheel'l'l. A

"-dicates a box or-casing of convenient size to be If atany time duringfpr-ogress of thegame it placed on 'the'table-at the right of the-player -isdesired to-=ascertain which -p1ayer last dealt J "who keeps-score. -"I'l-1is*casmg-or'-boxcarries four the cards, it is only necessary to depress the finger M indicators corresponding'to' the pbsit-idnsidf-the button 15 sufficient1y-t0=make contact with the" ,50 players N,- sand EFW; at which points electric ratchet 17; whereupon the-1astsetting of the lamps are located asindic'ated" iii the vfiring diaapparatus will become effective to lightthe lamp ii gram; which are lighted toindicatethedealers indicating the last dealer. "In this checking up asthey occur insucoes'sion'; corresponding to the? T-actior'ito ascertain whodea1t the cards last,- the U transfer of the deal mm one se men wan-wuss button "15 is; not-depressed far enough to .5

' c'asi ng i relieved of the pressure of the operators finger;'-'

turn the ratchet 1'7, but only enough to close the circuit between the pawl 16 and the ratchet 17. Thus, at any point in the game a check-up can be made as to which player dealt the cards last. The contact springs 21 in addition to acting as means for closing the several circuits also act as detent means to determine the position of the switch block 20, as this is rotated from point to point. r

InFig. 6 is shown another form of the push button device in which the said button is provided with a stem 15a suitably guided in the frame, and a spring 1 6a returns the push button to its normal upper position when released from pressure of the operators finger. The stem 15a carries at its lower end the pawl member for engaging the ratchet 17.

In Fig. 1 the main casing 14 is divided into color and E and W of another color. Therefore, when either one of the lamps is lighted it will not only indicate the dealer, but also the pack of cards which the dealer is to use.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8 a reflector 23 is arranged centrally of the box or casing which is adapted to be placed on the card table alongside the position of one of the players. This reflector is in inclined position relative'to its vertical shaft 24 so that it will reflect the light from a lamp 25 disposed directly below and axially in relation to the axis of rotation of the reflector. The reflector is adapted to divert the-vertical rays from the lamp 25 horizontally as indicated by the broken lines 26 in Figs; 7 and, 8, so as to impinge upon reflectors E, W, N and S, which 7 are positioned so as to indicate the dealers by-- diverting the horizontal rays vertically through. the glasses 27 arranged at different points about.

- the box corresponding to the positions of the players.

The central reflector 23 is rotated, a quarter turn at each action, for which purpose its shaft 24 carries a block 28 havingrests or notches for receiving a spring detent 29, said rests or notches being at 90 from each other. The reflector shaft 24 also-carries a ratchet wheel 17a adapted to be operated by a pawl 16b carried by a rod 30 suitably guided in the frame 31 and under tension of a spring 32. The rod 30 is adapted to be operated by a bell crank lever 33, which in-turn is operated by a push button 15a and a spring 34. Thebellcrank lever 33 normally is out of contact with the rod 30, but when the push but-3 ton 15a is depressed the bell crank lever will contact-with and operate the rod 30 so that the re flector 23 will be given a quarter turn about itsvertical axis so asto shift. the reflecting action a from say reflector E' to reflectors, to thus shift the deal indication fromone player to another. At the same time that thisaction takes place, the contacting of thebell crank lever 33 with the rod 30 will close the electric circuit, shown, lighting the lamp 25 so that the reflecting action of the light above mentioned will take place toshift the deal indication.

In this arrangement also the contact will be broken as soon as the deal indication has been These packs may be of different color, and the lamps of the apparatus maybe diiferently colored, for instance, N and S of one 30, thus breaking the circuit which is indicated generally in Fig. 8. The parts will now be in a position with the lamp out, but with conditions such that by simply closing the contact between the bell crank lever 33 and the rod 30 the lamp 25 will be lighted and the indication of the last deal position will be made. It is understood in this action that the push button 15a will be depressed only far enough to make the electrical contact, but not far enough to shift the deal indication from one position to another, because the reflector 23 will not be shifted.

In Figs. 9 and 10 is shown another modification in which thelamp is moved from station to station. In this form only one lamp is needed, this being similar in this respect to the apparatus shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The lamp is carried by an arm 35 on the .vertical shaft 36, which is operatedby a turning button 15.11:. A detent 3'? determines the quarter turn positions of the vertical shaft 36, and this makes the lamp 25a register accurately with the different indicating positions,

two of which are illustrated in Fig. 10 at Ea: and War, it being understood that apertures are arranged in the box cover, said apertures being closed by transparent members. The electrical .contact for lighting this lamp 25a results from depressing the button 15a: so that the contact spring is engaged by a contact member 38 on the lower end of the shaft 36. It thus requires two movements of the push button 15a: to get the desired shifting of thedeal indication from one position to another. One of these movements is the rotary movement which carries the lamp 25a from one position to the next, and the other movement is the depression of the button 152: to close the electrical circuit. This electrical circuit is indicated generally in Fig. 10 diagrammatically.

In Figs. 1 1 and 12 still another form of the apparatusis shown in which a contact member 161i is mounted on a rotary'shaft 39 which is operatedby the push button 151' any suitable form of detent being employed at 37a like in the forms previously described.- A spring keeps the v push button normally in its upward position. order to get the change of deal indication the push button 15a: is rotated and at the same time it is depressed so that the contact spring 16d will contact with the proper one of the contact members 41 mounted on the base plate. like in the form previously described, a complete operation of the push button will eifect the change of the deal indication from one position to another, but at any time that a check-up is desired as to the last dealer, it is necessary only to givea partial operation of thepush button. This partial operation of the present form, like that in Fig. 10, would be simply the depression of the push button far enough to close the electrical contact momentarily. In all the forms it will be noticed that a full operation of the manually operable device represented by the finger piece or push button, will effect the transfer of the deal indication from one position to another for'indieating the change in the deal from one player to another, and in all the forms a partial operation of the manually operable devices will give an indication of the last deal position or player.

It will be understood that the box or casing containing the appliance is of small size and takes up little room on the card table adjacent the player who is to operate it.

; While the invention is shown as embodied in a portable box or casing adapted to be placed on In this form as it may be embodied in the table itself as a indicator, whereas a partial operation of said device will simply make but will not shift the indicator from one station to another. The full operation may consist, for instance, of the full stroke movement of the push button in one and the same direction and the partial operation may be only part of the stroke in one direction, or the full operation may involve a turning as well as a pushing movement in the direction of the axis of the button, whereas a partial movement would involve omission of the turning movement and. performance of the axial movement. These are examples, possible variations, falling within the broad scope of the invention.

The circuits for the several forms of the apparatus are such as lie within the province of one skilled in the art to incorporate. It may be pointed out, however, briefly that in connection with the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring pawl 16 forms a part of the circuit when item- .tacts with the ratchet 17, the circuit being comframe carrying the pin 30 to one terminal of the electric lamp, the other terminal being connected back to battery.

In Fig. 10 the circuit may be from battery through the spring 16c, the contact 38, metal cap on shaft 36, spring 37 to ground, and from ground back to battery.

We claim:

1. In apparatus for indicating the dealer in a card game, a manually operable member, a plurality of indicator stations, one for each dealer, signal means to be displayed at said stations, electric circuit connections for energizing, when closed, the signal means, means actuated by said manually operable means including a circuit closing contact and signal changing means for displaying the signal at said indicator stations, one after another, said manually operable means and circuit closing contact being under spring tension, for returning to retracted position, when released from manual operation, and thereby breaking the circuit to the signal last displayed, said manually operable member being capable of a partial operation to repeat the closing of the circuit just broken for repeating the display of the last signal, without changing the signal to another station, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for indicating the dealer in a card game, a manually operable member, a plurality of indicator stations, one for each dealer, signal means to be displayed at said stations, comprising a separate signal for each station, electric circuit connections for said signals, a switch for closing the circuit connections to said signals singly, a source of electric current, electric contact means for closing a circuit from the source of current to the switch, a manually operable device for operating said contact and for operating the switch, said contact and manually operable device being under spring tension for returning to retracted position when released from manual control, said manually operable device being capable of a partial operation to close the contact and repeat the signal last displayed, without operating the switch, and being capable of a full operation to close said contact and operate the switch to shift the signal to another station.

. 3. Apparatus for indicating the dealer in a card game comprising a plurality of signal lamps, one for each dealer, a source of electric current, and circuit connections to the lamps, a switch controlling said circuit connections to light said lamps singly inprescribed order, a pawl and ratchet for 4 operating the switch, a manually operable device for operating the pawl, said pawl and ratchet being normally separated, and forming means for closing the circuit from the source of current to the switch, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the signal means comprises an electric lamp, and the signal changing means comprises a movable reflector and a plurality of reflectors, one at each station for receiving the light rays reflected by said movable reflector, substantially as described.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the signal means comprises an electric lamp, and the signal changing means comprises a movable support for said lamp together with means operated by said manually operable device for moving said support to shift the lamp from station to station.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the circuit closing action and signal changing action are effected by a step by step movement of the manually operable device in one and the same direction.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the circuit closing action and signal changing action are effected by a rectilinear movement and a rotary movement respectively of the manually operable device.

ERVIN SACHSENMAIER. WARREN SACHSENMAIER. 

